Machine for cleaning and assorting fruits



(No Model.)

' W. P. & H. RICE.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING AND ASSORTING FRUITS.

110.589,141. 1315191111111 Aug. 31,1897.

SQL Q @XW-L A l A E. M I

aff/5165565.

UNTTED STATES l PATENT EETCE.

MACHINE FQRKCLEANING AND AssoRTiNo- FRuiTs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,141, timeV August 31, 1897.

Application filed November 10, 1896. Serial No. 611,637. (No model.)

To all wiz/0m t 'may concern:

Be it known that we, WALTER P. RICE and HARVEY'RICE, citizens of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuya- 5 hoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Machine for Cleaning and Assorting Fruits, of which the following is a specication. y

This invention relates to a machine for cleaning and assorting fruits,such as oranges, lemons, peaches, dta.; and it consists in the new constructions and combinations of mechanisms specially adapted for the purpose, substantially as hereinafter describechtand pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of our new machine as seen in working order. Fig. 2 is an end elevation, omitting the hopper, showing the end of the rotary and stationary brushes.. Figs. 8 and 4 are'an end and side elevation, respectively, of a trapping device designedfor sorting the fruit. Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the hopper, showing a vdevice for separating one fruit at a timelfroin the quantity of fruit in the hopper and starting it rolling down over the brush-cleancrand to the trappers. Fig. 6 is a side view, detached, of a separator-wheel and the pulley for turn'- ing it. A

The following is a description in detail of the construction and operation of the machine.

A, Figs. l and 2, represents a round and rotary brush journaled in bearings I), supported on suitable posts B B, standing on a table or bench B2.

A is a permanent brush fixed onto a slanting side board A2 at one side of the rotary brush and supported on one arm of the yokes B B', also standing on the table or bench B2.

A3 is also a plain slanting side board attached to the opposite arms of the yokes B B', between which and the brush A the rotary' brush A freely revolves.

C O are legs or trestles iixed on hinges to the under side and at the ends of the tablel in such a manner that the height and inclination of the table may be adjusted at any given 5o angle to give the required pitch to the brush for the easy rolling of the fruit. Oval-shaped.`

fruits, suoli as lemons and peaches, require more pitch than rou'ndffruit like oranges for traversing the brush and trough. V

D is a hopper adjoining the upper end of the brushes for holding the fruit to be delivered to the brushes. It is supported on a stand or trestle D.

E is a trough connected with the lower end of the brushes,.into which the fruit is discharged and leading to the sorting-traps.

In the hopper D and the trough E are provided separating devices for separating and delivering one fruit ata time to the brushes and to the sorting-traps as follows: F is a r0- tary wheel (or wheels) liXed on a shaft under the hopper and turns in slots in the hopperbottom. `It has four, iive, or six inwardlycurved'cavities in its periphery, each one of which is adapted for catching. and holding one fruit, and as said wheel revolves will deliver t-he fruit onto the brush and start them rollingo'ne at a time and at equal intervals. G is a rocking separator consisting of one or more curved pieces pivoted at their middle in slots in the bottom of the trough, adapted,

like the wheel F, to catch and deliver the fruit one at a time to the sorting-traps. Motion is imparted to these parts by means as follows:

H is a driving-shaft supported in bearings corner.' I is a driving-pulley or sprocketwheel fixed on the end of shaft Hand is connected by a belt or chain c' with a pinion or sprocket-wheel on the upper end of the rotary-brush journal. On the opposite end of shaft H is provided a bevel-gear J. K is a short counter-shaft journaled in a bearingblock kand having a bevel gear-wheel L, meshing with and driven by the gear J. On the opposite end of shaft K are placed a small pulley or sprocket L2 anda larger pulley or sprocket M. L2 is connected by a belt or chain l with a large pulley or sprocket L on the shaft of the separator-wheel F. N isa short shaft supported in a bearing-block f at the lower end of the table. O is a pulley or sprocket on said shaft N, connected by-a belt or chain P with pulley or sprocket M. Q is a crankdisk on opposite end of shaft N, having a connecting-rod q', adjustable as'to its length, connecting it with the rocker-separator G at hh, fixed on table at' the upper right-hand The small pulleyor sprocket IOO one side of its pivot. The operations of this mechanism will be seen to be that when power is applied to the driving-wheel I (which may be by hand er otherwise) motion is transmitted te the brush and separators alike. The pulleys or wheels are so proportioned that the separator-wheel F makes one revolution to four, five, orsix rocking movements of the separator G, in accordance with the number of cavities in the periphery of said wheel F, so that the separators shall work in unison for the equal and uniform delivery of fruit to the brushes and separators.

The asserting device is described as follows:

R, Figs. l, 3, and 4, represents stands for supporting the werking parts.

S is a frame having rods if t which are inserted in sleeves lrr of the stand-legs and are held in place by set-screws s s, which permit of vertical adjustment. By the vertical adjustment ef the traps any required inclination of the troughs leading to and from the traps may be made for the easy rolling of the fruit.

T T are yokes attached to the frame S for supporting the ends of the troughs E E'.

U U are trap-leaves pivoted between said yokcs, se that they may swing and open downwardly, as seen at UX in Fig. l.

o l# are delicate springs, of rubber or other suitable material, attached te the outer sides of the leaves and are connected to adjusting rings er screws it u, held in brackets w 'it' on the sides of the frame S, whereby the tension of the springs may be nicely adjusted.

The fruit is asserted by weight and not by size, the traps being susceptible of such nice adjustment by means of the varying adjustability in tension ef the springs that the assortment ef fruit can be made with a dilference in weight of ene ounce er less between the several assortments. Thus the heavier fruits will trip the upper traps, while the lighter will pass over them anden te the next traps, se that by this means several or any desired number of assertments of fruit can be made.

Beneath the traps are provided troughs Y for catching and conveying the assorted fruits into baskets or other suitable receptacles.

Having described our invention, what we claim isll. In a machine for cleaningand asserting fruit by a continuous operation, a rotary brush A journaled in pests B B, standing on table B2, an inclined stationary brush A', fixed on an inclined leaf A2 at the side ofthe brush A, and supported by the yekes B' B', also standing on said table B2, a shaft I-I supported in bearings 71, 7L, mounted on said table B2, at one side of the brushes, a driving pulley-wheel mounted on said shaft II, a driving-belt t' connecting said driving-wheel with a pinion IL" en the end of the rotary-brush journal, a bevel-pinion J on said shaft II, a counter-shaft K mounted in a bearing-bleek 7c, also mounted on the table B2, a bevel-gear L en said counter-shaft meshing with pinion J, a pulley L2 on said shaft K, a hopper D mounted adjacent te the end of said brushes A A', a rotary feed-block F mounted en a cross-shaft under the hopper, a pulley L' on said cross-shaft, a belt Z connecting the pulley L' with the driving-pulley L2, a receiving-trough E connected with lower ends of the brushes A A', a fruit-separating rocker G pivoted in slots in the betteln ef the said trough, a shaft. N mounted in a blockfstanding on the table B2, a crank-disk Q on said shaft N, connected by a rod q with said rocker-separator, a pulley O en said shaft N connected by belt P with the pulley M en the aforesaid counter-shaft K, thc construction and combination being such that the several parts of the machine have simultaneous eperation, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a machine for cleaning and asserting fruit, the combination with a receivingtreugh, of a reciprocating separater consisting of a curved rocker pivoted in slots iu the bottom of the trough, a connecting-red cennecting the rocker with a crank-shaft fixed en the table beneath said trough, and means for operating said reckersim ultaneeusly with the feed-separator and the rotary brush, substantially as described.

In a machine for cleaning and asserting fruit, the combination with the brushes and separating mechanisms, of asserting-traps, comprising supporting-stands, yokcs adjustably mounted en said stands, troughs supported by said yokes, trap-leaves pivoted between said yokes, springs attached te said trap-leaves and connected with adjustingscrews attached to the frames below the leaves, the arrangement of the tension of the springs being such that the assortment is made by the difference in weight of the fruit for tipping the trap-leaves, substantially as described.

XVALTER I. RICE. HARVEY RICE.

Vitnesses:

GEO. W. TIBBITTS, CHARLES ZUcKEP..

IOO 

